At Cooke Law Firm, P.C., Attorneys Christopher C. and Patricia Cooke will listen to you and answer your questions. They will evaluate your specific situation and advise you of your options under Texas law. The firm’s goal is to help its clients make informed decisions – decisions that are both best for the client and the children who are potentially involved in the litigation.
After an initial consultation, if an individual decides to proceed with a Texas divorce action, Attorneys Christopher C. and Patricia Cooke can represent that individual throughout the process. Common areas that Cooke Law Firm, P.C. will offer advice in beginning a divorce revolve around issues of the grounds for a divorce in Texas, various residency requirements, the necessity of a temporary restraining order or protective order, relevant required waiting periods, and issues with the filing of the Texas divorce petition.
Furthermore, if retained, Cooke Law Firm, P.C. will represent you through all negotiations and assist in hammering out a tailored divorce settlement that meets your individual needs. However, when a divorce settlement cannot be reached, Attorneys Christopher C. and Patricia Stanley have the skill and dedication to prepare your case and effectively represent you before the divorce court.
Texas Divorce
Many issues can materialize in the course of a divorce in Texas. At Cooke Law Firm, P.C. in Cleburne, Texas, Attorneys Christopher C. and Patricia L. Cooke can help resolve Texas divorce issues such as division of community property holdings, spousal support, child custody and child support. The Cookes will strive to effectively move your case toward resolution – by settlement or trial.
At Cooke Law Firm, P.C. in Cleburne, Texas you can expect solid representation both in the mediation room and in the courtroom. This is important because many judges will require mediation to take place prior to any trial. This can be quite beneficial to many individuals and we often recommend mediation as an avenue for reaching agreements involving child custody, support, marital property division and other central issues.
Mediation
Mediation often has more benefits than a contested divorce.
- The divorcing couple can reach creative agreements that sometimes the court cannot employ;
- The parties to the suit maintain control over the outcome (it is often comforting that strangers are not deciding your domestic affairs); and
- Private family matters can remain private and not become part of the public record.
However, while the majority of Texas divorce cases are resolved through negotiation at mediation, courtroom litigation and trial are sometimes a necessity. If that is the case, Christopher C. and Patricia L. Cooke are comfortable in the courtroom and will aggressively represent your interests in Texas family law court.
Community Property in Texas
Texas is a community property state, meaning that all assets accumulated during the marriage are considered the joint property of both spouses. However, if one spouse can prove fault in the marriage, then he or she may receive more than 50 percent of the community estate. Grounds for fault may include:
- Adultery
- Family Violence
- Excessive Use of Alcohol or Drugs
- Felony Convictions or Prison Time
Often, one spouse will try to hide community assets. Christopher C. and Patricia L. Cooke's vast experience in evaluating financial records will stop this behavior and maximize your recovery.
Common Law Marriage
In the state of Texas, the common law marriage rules are unique. If you file joint tax returns or tell others that you are married, then you are considered married by a common law marriage. At our firm, we provide the guidance you need to ensure that you are able to provide for you and your family after the dissolution of a common law marriage.
High-Asset Divorce Cases
The negotiated or litigated outcome of your high net worth divorce can impact the future of your closely held family business — and ownership of significant assets such as stock options, deferred income, retirement benefits and investment portfolios. With so much at stake, the divorce attorney protecting your interests should have many years of experience and a track record of success for his or her clients.
Attorneys Christopher C. and Patricia L. Cooke of Cooke Law Firm, P.C., in Cleburne, easily meets both of those standards. With more than three decades of combines trial experience and more than 2,000 family law cases handled uniquely qualify them to represent your interests, in and out of court.
Our law office's founder is a skilled divorce attorney who has participated in a number of multimillion-dollar, high-profile cases involving prominent Metroplex families. He can help you, too — with discussions of parental time-sharing responsibilities, division of marital assets, child support and spousal support.
Christopher and Patricia Cooke's dedication, knowledge and personal service can be a comfort to you at a difficult time in your life, and give you confidence to move on toward a serene post-divorce future. They work hard to preserve your financial investment in your marriage. Christopher and Patricia Cookes' emphasis in custody and visitation cases is "the best interest of the child," doing what they can to minimize the potential negative emotional impact of divorce on children.